A team of Taubman College researchers led by Sharon Haar will use a National Science Foundation (NSF) grant for a collaborative project to lower the barriers for Detroit residents to buy and rehabilitate vacant homes.
The initiative, “Rehab for America: Housing Resilience for Detroit Communities,” addresses the nation’s housing affordability crisis by creating resources for and efficiencies in the process of rehabilitating abandoned homes. While the project focuses on Detroit and its estimated 7,000 vacant homes, the findings could have implications for post-industrial cities nationwide.
Haar is the Emil Lorch Collegiate Professor of Architecture and co-founder of Taubman College’s Collective for Equitable Housing. Joining her on the project team are Ellie Abrons and Adam Fure, associate professors of architecture. The $75,000 planning grant comes from the NSF’s Civic Innovation Challenge, a research and action competition driven by community priorities. The research team plans to apply for further NSF funding next year.
